Pancreatic cancer is responsible for 227.000 deaths per year, and is the eighth most common cause of death from cancer in both sexes combined, a position relatively high when compared to incidence (thirteenth position) because of the very poor prognosis (the M/I ratio is 98%) (Global Cancer Statistics, 2002). The incidence of pancreatic carcinoma has increased almost 300% since 1950 and now exceeds the incidence of stomach cancer and cancer of the rectum. Carcinoma of the exocrine pancreas is nearly always a fatal disease. The overall 5-year survival rate for the disease is 4.1%.